True emotional understanding involves more than just understanding your own emotions and those of others. You also need to be able to put this information to work in your daily interactions and communications.

How to improve social skills:

• Ask open-ended questions.
• Find icebreakers that will help start conversations.
• Notice other people's social skills.
• Practice good eye contact.
• Practice your social skills.
• Practice active listening.
• Show interest in others.
• Watch your body language.

Empathy, or the ability to understand how others are feeling, is absolutely critical to emotional intelligence. But it involves more than just being able to recognize the emotional states of others.

How to build empathy:

• Be willing to share your own feelings.
• Engage in a cause such as a community project.
• Listen to other people.
• Practice loving-kindness meditation.
• Talk to new people.
• Try to imagine yourself in someone else's place.

Intrinsic motivation is another important emotional intelligence skill. People who are emotionally intelligent are motivated by things beyond external rewards like fame, money, recognition, and acclaim.

How to improve motivation:

• Avoid overusing extrinsic rewards.
• Celebrate your results.
• Focus on setting small, measurable goals.
• Introduce challenges to keep things interesting.
• Set goals to help build intrinsic motivation.
• Work with a friend or co-worker to find accountability.